New evidence suggests ketamine can reduce anxiety related to major depression, and substance abuse depression(Credit: kmiragaya/Depositphotos)

Two new studies suggest the psychiatric benefits of ketamine treatment may extend beyond just the targeting of depression. The research demonstrates ketamine may be helpful in targeting both anxiety- and substance abuse-related depression. read more

Researchers have found that a commercially available supplement can improve dilation of a subjects’ arteries by 42 percent in response to increased blood flow(Credit:idcde/Depositphotos)

Much mystery surrounds the physiological processes by which humans age, but scientists are learning more all the time. With this knowledge come new possibilities around how we can not only slow them down, but possibly even reverse them. A new breakthrough at the University of Colorado is the latest advance in the area, demonstrating how a chemically altered nutritional supplement may well reverse aging of the blood vessels, in turn giving cardiovascular health a vital boost. read more

from IBD:

5 Reasons You Should Avoid Take-Home DNA Tests

The holiday shopping season is just around the corner. And millions of Americans think they’ve found the perfect gift — DNA testing kits.

It’s easy to see why the kits from companies such as AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and MyHeritage are so popular. For less than $100, folks can discover their ancestry and uncover potentially dangerous genetic mutations. About 12 million Americans have bought these kits in recent years.

But DNA testing isn’t risk-free — far from it. The kits jeopardize people’s privacy, physical health, and financial well-being. There are five key reasons Americans should think twice before buying a DNA testing kit. read more

An illustration of a human spinal column, highlighting a deteriorated intervertebral disc(Credit:CLIPAREA/Depositphotos)

As the shock-absorbing cartilage discs between our vertebrae degenerate due to aging, accidents or overuse, severe back pain can result. While some scientists have developed purely synthetic replacement discs, a recent test on goats indicates that bioengineered discs may be a better way to go. read more

The new technique cures diabetes in mice by bypassing the immune system that attacks beta cells(Credit: JacobSt/Depositphotos)

According to the Center for Disease Control, 1.25 million people suffer from type 1 diabetes in the US alone. So far, it can only be managed with diet and regular doses of insulin, but scientists at UT Health San Antonio have invented a way of curing the disease in mice that may one day do the same for humans even with type 2 diabetes. read more

For years, scientists have suspected that drinking coffee helps lessen the chances of getting Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. A new study indicates that this may indeed be the case, and that the darker the roast, the better it works. read more

Blowing bubbles in the blood could kill cancer with both barrels

Researchers have found that gas embolotherapy (blowing bubbles in the blood) could fight cancer in two ways(Credit: delfoto/Depositphotos)

Cancer can be a tricky foe, so the best way to fight it might not be with a direct attack, but to cut off its supply lines. One such method, known as gas embolotherapy, involves creating tiny bubbles in the tumor blood vessels, which block the blood supply and starve the cancer out. Now, researchers from China and France have found that the technique could also deal a second blow as a drug delivery system. read more

Professor Mihnea Bostina from the University of Otago was part of a research team imaging the Seneca Valley Virus(Credit: University of Otago)

Last year, a cutting edge scientific imaging technology called cryo-electron microscopy earned a Nobel Prize for chemistry, lauded by the committee as ushering in a “revolution in biochemistry.” The technique allows scientists to visualize biomolecules in their natural state for the first time ever, and one year on is already opening up some exciting possibilities. Now, scientists have used it to image a high-potential cancer-killing virus in unprecedented detail, allowing them to now ponder how it might be genetically modified to better do the job. read more